The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-12
FIAT LIVERY ORDAINED MINIS
TER ACCEPFSAS
The Very Word Of God When He
Takes Upon Bimse'f His
Ordination Vows.
All ATTEMPTED REPLY That
INPARr
A Rthssh Of What ar. Skies Him
self Admits and Otherwise
Bsgs the Question.

tie book by the Rev. d. IL. Skies, en-
titled Pen Pictures of Prohibition
and Prohibilionists," published by
p. III. Stauffer, Loudonville, Ohio.
Mr.. Skies is the author of "The Bib
lical Reason Why Prohibition ID
WronS," of which the Rev. DR..
Crosby, the great temperance adve-
cato in New York says that it is an
unanswerable statement of our Bible
teachings. Such books are necessa-
ny to disabuse the minds of the peo-
pie which are led captive by the
falsehoods Of the so called temper
ance organs"
In You'd church is a large and
deeply interested assembly. The oc.
casion is q solemn one-the setting
apart by the ceremony Of ordination
a man to the work of the gospel min
istry, than which no work can be
more important, nor any obligation
more binding. The candidate stands
before the altar. The officiating
clergynen proceeds first: Seriously
to admonish him to be faithful ia
the tru It about to be committed to
him. Among other things, he ex-
horts him 10 the following language:
Learn efthe Master, (Jesus. Make
Him constantly your pattern. Search
His word" (See Gen. Synod's Lit
urgy-Ev. Luth. church-edition OF
1856. page 1854.
Having concluded the admonition,
he proceeds TO question the candi-
date in order that he may stand fully
and fairly committed TO faithiulness
as a teacher of religion. The most
important questions asked are the
Following (See questions / and 3 Of
Section 2, Formula of Government.
l. "Do you believe the Scriptures
of the Old and New Testaments TO
be the Word of God, and the only
infallible rule OF falkland practice2
2. "Do you promise faithfully and
zealously to preach the truths Of the
gospel OF our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ as contained in the Holy
ScripturesW
To both and each of these ques-
tions he seriously responds: II do. "
Then kueeling down, by the solemn
imposition of hands and prayer, he is
set apart to the gospel ministry. II
language is reliable, and its import
Ineligible, his ordination vows obi
gate him to do two things, namely:
|. To believe that the Scriptures
of the Old and New Testaments are
the Word oil God, and the only in
fallible rule of faith and practice.
2. To teach the truth according to
this belief That is, he is to teach
that the Bible is the word of God,
that it is the only infallible rule Of
faith and practice, namely, if we be-
lieve and act in accordance with the
teachings ofthe Bible we arrei hit and
and safe, but il contrary thereto, we
are wrong and unsafe.
This is certainly a fair construc
ton of his ordination VOWS, fully
warranted by the questions asked
and the answers given.
The ceremony of ordination over,
the newly authorized religious teach
or, remembering tho sacredness of
his obligation, and the earnest ex-
hortatien to Learn of the Master,
follow His example and search His
word,P turns TO the Scriptures Tor
instruction. The question OF the
use Of intoxicating beverages being
one Of much importance TO the re-
ligious teacher because of its prom
inence in the public mind, he very
properly desires to ascertain what
the teaching of the Bible and the
example of Jesus authorize him to
teach on that subject, In order to
be thorough, he proceeds systemati-
cally. Turning to the Old Testament
and consulting:
Genesis 9.2i %, 1892 30; 1st Sam
uel l:14-l5, 25:37; % Samuel 1872 :;
Esther 1:l0; Psalms 1875; Proverbs
pol, % 20, q, 30, 81; Isaiah oil, II,
ISL, z, 300, 1926, 5l:2l; jeremiah
1919, 25;l5, bl:7; Hosea All; Joel
1:5, and ,neir oollaterals, he learns
that the wines of the Scripture were
intoxicating, aud he will nowhere in
the Bible hnd a wine mentioned of
which it is either said OF minated
that it was not intoxicating. BY
these passages he will see that wine
and stroug drink under the Hebrew
names, Yayin. Shekar, Ahsis, etc,
made nea drunk" "overcame
strong men" caused the mighty to
shout" aud "the priests and the
prophets 10 err, when used to ex-
cess, aud that God strongly discour-
ages and denounces such abuse of
them. From Genesis lI;l7-l9, IL
%; Deuteronomy 1912, 29.5, 6;
Joshua 9:3, 10; Judges 912, l3, 49,
1919; 1st Samuel 1920, 25:1S 20; I'd
Samuel 6:l7-l9, 1871, 2; ID Kings
1882; LIST Chronicles 2;l0 10,
I'LL, 1897, Is; Neheu iah 81 ,6;6-l2,
Is, 18; Esther | .5-S, &c, 40, 7,S;Job
1:13-l9, 3i:ls20, Psalms AZ; Pro-
verbs 81 6, 3l:67; Ecclesiastics 2:3,
9:7S, 1918; Song IF Solomon 4:l0,
81; 7:S9, 81, 2; Isaiah 1;2l %; Jere,
miah 400 II; Ezekiel 27:lS; Daniel
5:15, 22,23; Hsgpai 2;ll; II, and
many Other pas ages Of a similar i'm
port, he learns that these same wines
were in general and constant use
among all classes; that priests,
prophets aud people used them as a
part of their daily sustenance. He
will also find that these wines them
selves and their use Ms beverages are
often spoken of in the most favor
able terms. That the same wine
that made Noah, Lot, Nabal and
others drunk; that "overcame men, "
made the mighty TO shout" and
caused "the priests ard prophets to
err" when used to excess was pre-
sented ~ Abraham to Melchizadek,
"the priest Of the Most High God. "
Genesis 14:lS
Drank by Isaac when preparing to
pronounce his dying blessing upon
his sons. Genesis xvii, 25.
Promised to Judah in such plenty
as that his "eyes should be red with
wine" Genesis xix. IL, 10.
Was taken by the pious Hannah to
the tabernacle as a part Of her thank
Offering. ! Samuel i, "a.
presepted by Abigail TO David. I